Saturday, December 23, 2006

Which sounds kinda cool and mystical and stuff.But in reality it just means I drank way too much on the works piss up last night.

Evil Smirnoff Ice.

But I think my self is starting to forgive me for the 7 hours I made it down copious amounts of vodka. Although the hour or so playing Wii Sports this afternoon did cause a slight setback in the recovery process.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Monday, December 18, 2006

A few facts only I will probably be interested in regarding my brother. I've changed a few words to past tense.

Your date of conception was on or about 27 March 1972 which was a Monday.

You were born on a Mondayunder the astrological sign Sagittarius.Your Life path number is 4.

Life Path Compatibility:You were most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 8, 11 & 22.You should have got along well with those with the Life Path numbers 6 & 7.You were least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 3, 5 & 9.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2441669.5.The golden number for 1972 is 16.The epact number for 1972 is 14.The year 1972 was a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/15/1972 and ending 2/2/1973.You were born in the Chinese year of the Rat.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Owl; your plant is Mistletoe.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Menchir, the second month of the season of Poret (Emergence - Fertile soil).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 13 Tevet 5733.Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 14 Tevet 5733.

The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 2 April 1972.The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 9 April 1972.The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 16 February 1972.The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 21 May 1972.The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 28 May 1972.The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Saturday, 9 September 1972.The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Thursday, 30 March 1972.The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 15 February 1972.

As of 12/18/2006 2:12:34 PM ESTYou should be 34 years old.You should be 408 months old.You should be 1,774 weeks old.You should be 12,418 days old.You should be 298,046 hours old.You should be 17,882,772 minutes old.You should be 1,072,966,354 seconds old.

Top songs of 1972The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack Alone Again (Naturally) by Gilbert O'SullivanAmerican Pie by Don McLean Without You by NilssonI Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash A Horse with No Name by AmericaBaby Don't Get Hooked On Me by Mac Davis Me and Mrs. Jones by BillyPaulThe Candy Man by Sammy Davis, Jr. Lean On Me by Bill Withers

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 4.86027397260274 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)

There would be 365 days till your next birthdayon which your cake should have had 35 candles.

Those 35 candles produce 35 BTUs,or 8,820 calories of heat (that's only 8.8200 food Calories!) .You can boil 4.00 US ounces of water with that many candles.

In 1972 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US.In 1972 the US population was approximately 203,302,031 people, 57.4 persons per square mile.In 1972 in the US there were approximately 2,158,802 marriages (10.6%) and 708,000 divorces (3.5%)In 1972 in the US there were approximately 1,921,000 deaths (9.5 per 1000)In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.

Your birthstone is Blue Zircon

The Mystical properties of Blue Zircon

Zircon helps one be more at peace with oneself.

Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)

Blue Topaz, Ruby, Lapis Lazuli

Your birth tree is

Fig Tree, the Sensibility

Very strong, a bit self-willed, independent, does not allow contradiction or arguments, loves life, its family, children and animals, a bit of a butterfly, good sense of humour, likes idleness and laziness, of practical talent and intelligence.

There are 7 days till Christmas 2006!There are 20 days till Orthodox Christmas!

I had a whole post floating around in my head. Which somehow feels like cheating. Should posts always be spontaneous?

Well, when Zara dreams it's like a full on theatrical production. She really should write them down. Or blog them.

So I've had the full on blockbuster version of Zara's dream and now my post has dribbled out my ears. I'm not complaining, or blaming Zara. Just saying where my head is right now. Which might be a good thing. My original post might have sounded a little contrived.

Damn, I really want to post more. My head is now empty of all thoughts. There was so many of them bouncing around in my head at 6am.

So, here I lay. On the settee with a blanket round me, in the dark, with the fire slowly cooking me. The low hum of the laptop, the sound of our rats snuffling around in the background.

It feels safe and warm. Which is how I want to be as inside I feel empty.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Which I knew would happen. But you always live in hope. But we did get part of our order.

Yes, we now have the extra controller and Wii Play to, er, practice swinging around in the living room in anticipation of the arrival of our little bundle of nintendo goodness.

So right now i'm soaking in the bath. No surprise there. Working up the energy to tackle the Christmas decorations. Which may seem early to some. But considering half our street looks like Blackpool illuminations then our few coloured lights and little tree will be nothing to look at.

I'm feeling Christmasy now. I think the Port n lemonade we had earlier went a long way to put me in the Christmas spirit.

We are SO ready for Christmas. Nearly all the presents have been bought. All put a couple being bought online. The food is in, the booze is in. Just 5 more little work days to go for me then it can begin.

Monday, December 04, 2006

Yeah, it's Monday.Yeah, my back still aches like mad.And...yeah. I've had enough of work already.

But, it's Ebay night!

In about two and a half hours my 'Vintage' Lego item auctions will end. And my paypal account will be looking nice n healthy.

Who says money can't buy you happiness?

It's not gonna be enough to retire on, but it'll make Christmas very merry. I already sold my PS2 to make way for the Wii. And got a nice warm fuzzy feeling by accepting less than I wanted so a little boy would get what he wanted on his birthday.

Aah. Yeah, she coulda been spinning me a tale, but. What the hell. It was my good deed for this year in the hope that our Wii will arrive before Christmas.

Clocking up the overtime at work. Getting paid for my little job on the side, and selling on Ebay.

Thursday, November 30, 2006

That was the week flying by. Can't believe it's 5 days since my last post. Dr whatshischops on Brain Training won't be happy with me either as I haven't trained my brain for a week.

Thank you all for your kinds words, and messages as to my whereabouts. I was inundated with emails /sarcasm

Been working too damned hard this week so my mood is less than stellar. Hence my need to take it out on the keyboard.

So I will start with a Fuuuuckkkk You, and work my way up.

The Boss, even whilst being away on holiday is still managing to fuck things up. The muppet, despite my strongest nightly prayers is still 'working' for us. And i've had more work this past week than I have all year.

Still, as from next Monday i'll be starting the big 2 week countdown until I start my holiday. And i'm more than ready for a few weeks of constant binging and nightly piss ups. The spare room is chocca with Christmas goodies. I've pretty much done my present buying. Thanks in no small part to Amazon.co.uk.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

I didn't think this week could drum up any more madness until I went round to my parents house to find that my mum had taken a tumble in town and knocked her front teeth out!

She felt very self conscious and I tried not to look. But it really shook me up. It shows that my parents are vulnerable. Especially my mum. And that it's slowly heading towards the time where I have to look out for them.

I'm probably making them sound a lot older than they actually are. Which isn't really the point I'm trying to make. But it's one of those things you don't consider until something like this happens.

Both my parents are fighting fit, my dad goes flying every moment he can. My mum travels to her mother's house for visits. But it shows, all it needs is one trip, one tumble.

I know it can happen to anybody at anytime of life. But they're my parents. They're my life. Even though i'm going on 37 they're a big part of me.

I know i'm settled in my own home with Zara and have our own life going on. But I sometimes wonder how vulnerable I will feel when I don't have my parents to turn to for guidance. Or just a shoulder to cry on.

If I can lose my brother before he managed to turn 30, then whose to say I can't lose my parents before their time either.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

If you think you're having a crappy time of your life, then think again. If you've not heard of the Darwin Awards then go here. It'll make you smile about your own little life if nothing else!

The following mind-boggling attempt at a crime spree in Washington, DC appeared to be the robber's first (and last), due to his lack of a previous record of violence, and his terminally stupid choices:

3. To enter the shop, the robber had to step around a marked police patrol car parked at the front door.

4. A uniformed officer was standing at the counter, having coffee before work. Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up,and fired a few wild shots from a target pistol. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, the police officer with a 9mm Glock 17, the clerk with a .50 Desert Eagle, assisted by several customers who also drew their guns, several of whom also fired. The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons. No one else was hurt in the exchange of fire.

Overzealous zookeeper Friedrich Riesfeldt (Paderborn, Germany) fed his constipated elephant Stefan 22 doses of animal laxative and more than a bushel of berries, figs and prunes before the plugged-up pachyderm finally let it fly, and suffocated the keeper under 200 pounds of poop!

Investigators say ill-fated Friedrich, 46, was attempting to give the ailing elephant an olive oil enema when the relieved beast unloaded on him. "The sheer force of the elephant's unexpected defecation knocked Mr. Riesfeldt to the ground, where he struck his head on a rock and lay unconscious as the elephant continued to evacuate his bowels on top of him" said flabbergasted Paderborn police detective Erik Dern. With no one there to help him, he lay under all that dung for at least an hour before a watchman came along. During that time he suffocated.

It seems to be just one of those freak accidents that proves that "Sh!t happens!"

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Four weeks to go.Four weeks until I finish work for Christmas.Four weeks until I can stay in bed 24/7 out of this damn cold horrible weather and do nothing except play on my DS until the Wii arrives and then I'll have to get out of bed....

*deep breaths*

A big thank you to both Deanna and Carto for making me feel slightly better about the workrat situation. Only slightly better though. I always have to feel a little guilty about something.

Speaking of Carto, I got myself a new DS game yesterday. Ok, it was a tenuous link at best. So now i've been playing Animal Crossing like mad. I'm addicted already, and have managed to get Zara hooked too. Which didn't take very long this morning and meant my DS was hijacked to the point that the battery was dying.

So that'll be another friend code i'll have to add to the right hand side of this blog.

Hopefully it'll keep me going until our Wii arrives. Which won't be in the first batch destined for delivery on the 8 Dec...damnit. Still, gotta be better than following the sheep and buying a PS3 on ebay for at least 5 times the RRP...suckers.

Ok, enough of the boring geekdom I hear someone cry.

Which doesn't leave me with much to blog about. No doubt the ensuing week will kick up something to rant about as 'the muppet' attempts to do either himself or someone else some damage carrying glass around the factory.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Monday, November 13, 2006

Never thought i'd say it, but finally the weekend is over.It was 2 days of taking the wrong route on any decision.If i'd gone to work on Saturday I wouldn't have wrecked my back helping with the pets.If i'd gone and had my bath straight aways and not helped Zara in the kitchen we wouldn't have argued when we did and have a night feeling miserable.

Amazing, and quite scary how one little change in direction can set the whole of your day in a different light.

Wow, well there's my deep n meaningful moment out the way for today.

I've done my good deed for the day. A fly landed in my bathwater, so I fished it out and now it's sat next to me drying.

I really am a soft sod.

I might put the hair dryer on it in a while to help it out.

Damnit.

So I had a 'i hate my job' kinda day today. Which probably isn't helping my mood any, along with my back.

I need a break. Christmas is starting to take way too long to get here now. I've had enough of this year.

I need it to be in 5 weeks time, right now. 18th December. Happy Birthday brother. You would be. Should be 34. I start to get anxious, although really it's just another day.

But it's not.

Ok, I really don't know where i'm going with this train of thought. My head is all jumbled up.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Well. It looks like my posts have been missed considering all the subtle...and not so subtle messages i've been getting.

You know who you are!

I must admit I didn't realise how few times I was posting until I looked at the number of posts I made in january (40) and the number of posts I made last month (18). Less than half!

Which is quite amazing considering the amount of times the new guy at work pisses me off. Who from now on I shall refer to as 'muppet'

Who by now has had his stitches out from the time last week where he nearly lost his life and ended up with...er...6 stitches.

Yeah, cry me a river you wuss.

We've all been there. It's the joys with working with glass. Anyway, I found this amazing website where you can rant anonymously about a fellow coworker, and send them an email...so I guess I know where i'll be going next!

And no, muppet. After telling you I have stuff like Iron Maiden, Nine Inch Nails and the like on my Ipod I don't like Michael fucking Jackson...sigh.

*deep breaths*

So, anyway. We all survived bonfire night. Miaow got a little spooked, but that's it over for another year. Yay.

Apart from that a pretty uneventful weekend. Apart from making Zara cry in the middle of Tesco. And then getting hateful looks off all the women in the store.

What a bastard I am.

Ok, I don't think I made her cry. She was in a mood. I was in a mood. Words were said. Tears were shed. It was just a whole mood thing.

So here I lay..in the bath, of course cos it's damn cold everywhere else in the house. Relaxed. Calm. Serene.

It'll soon be Christmas.

Oh yeah, and finally. For anybody who's as addicted to their DS as me. I'm gonna start putting my friend code on the right hand side. But for now here's the only came i've got with a friend code. Mario Kart DS 073096 316837.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Wow, friday already.My posts are getting less and less I know. But I have a very good reason for that.I'm lazy.

I don't know if i'm just getting bored with the whole blogging thing. Or i'm just too busy, well I mean the new series' of Stargate are on so that's Wednesday out the way completely.

And work is going...ok. I'm slightly detatched from the daily crisis going on around me in the knowledge that I'm getting extra money elsewhere with the possibility of it becoming a full time job. Maybe.

Time will tell. But all this extra cash does mean I can look forward to what free time I do have being spent infront of my DS or the impending purchase of our Wii. Must pre-order, must pre-order.

My brain age is currently 27 if anyone cares.

So it's good to know my mental state is quite young even if bodily I feel 90. Although I blame the weather on that.

Too. Damn, Cold.

For anybody, like me, who grew up in the 80s smoking, drinking and longing to have sex with anyone who vaguely showed and interest then this youtube video is for you.

Although it show none of the above it does show the items we grew up with and the things we saw on tv. A time when chocolate bars had proper names.

So enjoy. And i'll try and post more often.

Although I can't guarantee it'll be interesting, or make much sense as my brain tends to regress to that of a child the nearer to Christmas it gets.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Yes. Blame the little white box on the lack of posts the last few days.I'm an addict. Pure and simple.It'll only get worse mark my words. As soon as it comes out we're treating ourselves to a Wii for christmas.Although I suppose I could just then blog on my Wii. Got my DS working with my wireless connection so me and Zara are having great fun losing to people all around the world at Mario Kart and Tetris.Good times.

So now here I sit getting slightly chilly in the bath.Damn you small inferior hot water tank.It's starting to get way too cold here now. And winter has yet to arrive.The winter wollies will be out soon.

On a happier note. My blog has made it onto 25peeps.com, yay.Fame and fortune can not be far away now.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

I fucking hate this time of yearAll the little retards are wetting themselves over the fact they can let off fireworks whenever and wherever they want.Even in the middle of the day.Which I guess goes some way to show their mental ability.I blogged about this last year. And I guess it's something that will piss me off every year, so here it is again

Why the hell shops are allowed to sell fireworks to anybody other than organizations is beyond me.Other than the fact the government would miss out on the extra revenue I guess.

Our cat freaks out everytime one goes off. Fireworks, bonfires. I could really live without this 'tradition' which has very little meaning left behind why we celebrate the 5th November.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Do you have a co-worker who talks nonstop about nothing, working your last nerve with tedious and boring details that you don't give a damn about?

Do you have a co-worker who ALWAYS screws up stuff creating MORE work for you?

Do you have a co-worker who kisses so much booty, you can look in their mouth and see what your boss had for lunch? Do you have a co-worker who is SOOO obnoxious,when he/she enters a room, everyone else clears it?

Well, on behalf of IkeTurner, I am so very very glad to officially announce today as SLAP YOUR IRRITATING CO-WORKER DAY! There are the rules you must follow:

* You can only slap one person per hour - no more.* You can slap the same person again if they irritate you again in the same day.* You are allowed to hold someone down as other co-workers take their turns slapping the irritant.* No weapons are allowed...other than going upside somebody's head with a stapler or a hole-puncher.* CURSING IS MANDATORY! After you have slapped the recipient, your"assault" must be followed with something like "cause I'm sick of your stupid-a$$ always messing up stuff!"

* If questioned by a supervisor or police, (if the supervisor is the irritant), you are allowed to LIE, LIE, LIE! Now, study the rules, break out your list of folks that you want to slap the living day lights out of and get to slapping.....

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Monday, October 16, 2006

It's Monday.I'm feeling lazy.So I blatantly stole this from Gemmak.Which is fine as she stole it too.

ARE YOU: 1. A Cuddler? Yes2. A morning person? Yes, Damnit! 3. Are you a perfectionist? Kinda4. An only child? I am now :(5. Catholic: NO!6. In your pajamas? Do I look like i'm 5?7. Currently suffering from a broken heart? Nope8. Okay styling other people's hair? Define style9. Left handed? No10. Addicted to MySpace? Not so much11. Shy around the opposite gender? No.12. Loud? No

DO YOU:12. Bite your nails? No13. Get paranoid at times? At times14. Currently regret something that you have said/done? No15. Curse frequently when you get mad? Constantly16. Enjoy country music? No17. Enjoy jazz music? No18. Enjoy smoothies? No19. Enjoy talking on the phone? Sometimes20. Have a lot to learn? And then some!21. Have a pet? A few :)22. Have a tendency to fall for the "wrong" person? Has been known23. Have all your grandparents died? No24. Have at least one sibling? -25. Have been told that you are smart? Yes, believe it or not!26. Have had a broken bone? Yes27. Have Caller I.D. on your phone? No

HAVE YOU:28. Changed a diaper? Urgh, yes29. Changed a lot over the past year? Yes30. Had friends who have never seen your natural hair color? Yes31. Had surgery? No32. Killed anyone? Not yet!33. Had your haircut within the last week? Noooo

LAST PERSON WHO:1. Slept in the bed beside you? My girlfriend, Zara2. Saw you cry? Zara3. Went to the movies with you? Umm, Zara4. You went to the mall with? As Above5. You went to dinner with? Zara and my mum..6. You talked to on the phone? Workmate7. Said 'I love you' to you and meant it? again, Zara8. Broke your heart? Nicole9. Made you laugh? Zara

WOULD YOU RATHER?1. Pierce your nose or tongue? Nose already pierced so i'll go with tongue2. Be serious or be funny? Funny3. Drink whole or skim milk? Skim4. Die in a fire or drown? Drown5. Spend time with your parents or enemies? Parents

ABOUT YOU! 1. What time is it? 18:572 Name? Patrick3. Nickname(s)? Paddy4. Where were you born? Germany5. What is your birthdate? April '706 What do you want? More Nintendo DS games!7. Where do you want to live? Somewhere warm, but not hot8. How many kids do you want? None

Friday, October 13, 2006

A heart of gold stopped beatingtwo shining eyes at rest.God broke our hearts to prove,He only takes the best.God knows you had to leave us,but you did not go alone-for part of us went with you,the day He took you home.To some you are forgotten,to others just part of the past,but to those of us who loved and lost you,the memory will always last.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

I think i'm coming down with something.All the signs are there. The signs Zara had before she got ill. And has now passed on said contagion to me.

Hopefully it won't come to anything. I haven't been ill in a long time. I was always catching colds as a kid. But as i've got older (but not necessarily grown up) i've become a bit hardier to the little beasties that try and infect me.

I'm on holiday for the next week, I can't decide if getting ill is good timing or bad.

Again, hopefully it won't come to anything.

So i'm going to have as relaxing a week as possible. Until Friday anyway. Which probably doesn't mean a lot to people who don't read this often. Or don't know me.

You'll find out if things get too much and a sudden rush of emotion comes out via the keyboard (read back to this time last year if you really want to know).

I'm doing a little better this year for some reason. Up 'til now. Not so many downs. But i'm trying not to let things prey on my mind.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

I've bottled it up long enough. Well, actually I haven't 'cos I tend to rant to Zara about him...but anyway, today was extra special.

There's this guy.

Wow, now that sounds gay! Ok, there's this workmate. He's only been working for us about a month. But been working in the industry about 7 years. But, well, how can I put this.

Chocolate fireguardChocolate teapotAshtray on a motorbikeFart in a paperbag

All the above are more useful than this guy.

I try to talk to him as little as possible. But in a place with only half a dozen people in it; that makes it kinda difficult.

Example:

Him: So do you like listening to Christina Aquawhatsherface (ok, I made thayt last name up, but you know who I mean)Me: Not really, she's damn sexy tho.Him: Yeah, what about Bouncy (Beyonce, or whatever her name is)Me: Umm, no.

Him: Where's the chair? (there's a chair out in the factory for us to use, but I nicked it and put it in my work room)Me: In my room (which you should already know as you saw me sitting on it before tea break)Him, Oh, what's it in there for.Me: What the hell do you think it's in there for...decoration!Me: *leaps over workbench to batter muppet senseless*

Ok, maybe the last two bits didn't happen...but it was close.

Now, I guess he was probably just trying to make conversation. But i'm not the chitty chatty kind of person. But he doesn't seem to take the hint.

And...he doesn't really seem to take in my, um, natural surroundings.

I have long hairI have piercings and tattoosI generally wear linkin park, Limp Bizkit t-shirtsI wear a Deftones hooded top

Do I look like the kind of person to listen to Be-bloody-once. Or be interested in the fact you went to see Kylie last year.

I must sound like a right twat talking about him like this. But if you had to work with him 8 hours a day you'd understand. I think most workplaces have at least one person they could do without.

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Thats all I can hear at the minute. Zara's shiny new black Nintendo DS arrived today. So there'll be no more squabbling between us over who gets to play with mine.

Hmm, dirty innuendo moment there.

Anyway, Dr Whatshischops Brain Training is getting pretty addictive. Our brains are both in their 30's now. Although mine has been as young as 29. Of course if you've never played this game before you're really gonna wonder what the hell i'm on about.

Update: Zara's brain is now 37...she is NOT happy.

So as you can tell we've both gone DS mad. And any spare cash is being sucked up into the Nintendo pot. We we're both sat in the living room earlier 'chatting' to each other via our DS's.

Geeky and sad you may say. And I would have agreed with you before i'd paid a visit to the library.

After a hard mornings work earning more DS game money I popped into the library to renew a book i'd taken out 2 weeks ago. A typically geeky book on Linux. Anywhoo, this guy infront of me who looked like King of the geeks was getting a book out.

The big book of Sausages.

WTF! he looked quite excited with his librarial (if that isn't a word then it is now!) find. I tried to avoid eye contact in case he spied me looking at his sausage-esk bible and regaled me in stories of his sausaging.

Ok, sexual innuendo detector on overload now!

I'm babbling now. I guess this is what happens when you don't post for a few days.

And I haven't even got onto ranting about how people have no idea about the highway code and that trying to get through a gap past a parked car whilst i'm barreling towards them in my big white van is pretty low on the list of 'good ideas'

Sunday, September 24, 2006

The lack of posts the last couple of days can be put down to one thing.

Nintendo DS.

In a fit of spending fury I threw caution to the wind and credit card to amazon.co.uk and ordered a lovely white Nintendo DS Lite....in white.

For a bargain price of £109 with a copy of Dr thingumyjig's Brain Training I couldn't put if off any longer. And after 2 days brain training i`ve gone from having the brain of a 72 year old to that of a 33 year old. I'll let Zara comment on her progress...hehe.

So is it any good? Well after about an hour showing it off to my parents they were straight onto amazon to order one for themselves. Family get togethers are going to get a lot more interesting.

But now I have a headache. I think i've stretched my mental capacity too far. Which doesn't take too long. By the end of the week my brain should be that of a new born baby. So i'll be dribbling and cooing by the weekend.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

During drive hunts, migrating pods of dolphins and other small whales are first panicked and confused by loud banging, then herded, by the hundreds, into shallow coves and butchered, one by one, by fishermen. Every year, some 20,000 small cetaceans of several species, some of which are endangered, including bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins, spotted dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, short-finned pilot whales, white-sided dolphins and false killer whales, are killed or taken in the drives, sometimes illegally.

Click on this link to go sign the petition to end this mindless practice.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

No other excuse for it really. No funny posts, no cute videos. Even worse. No Cake Tuesday!

And just because I couldn't really be arsed. Lethargy has really set in. I haven't been playing any pc games either.

So what is the cause of all this? No idea.So what have I been doing with my time? Even less of an idea

I'm laid here, as always, in the bath; trying to think what i've done with myself since my last post. My mind is blank. Although that could be put down to the fact I have the worst memory in the world.

As a workmate so crudely put it; 'i'd forget my balls if they weren't in a bag'

Ick.

So i'm buying a Nintendo DS and that brain training game in a bid to jolly my little grey cells into action. Well, that's my excuse to get a new toy.

By this time next week i'll have the brain of a twentysomething.

No comments on the state of my body please. Yes, i'm looking at you Zara!

Low: Hearing a workmate had fallen from a roof headfirst.High: Later hearing he'd gotten away with a few scratches.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

NABLUS, West Bank -- Two West Bank Christian churches were hit by firebombs early Saturday, and a group claiming responsibility said it was protesting Pope Benedict XVI's remarks about Islam....

...During a speech in Germany earlier this week, Benedict cited an obscure Medieval text that characterizes some of the teachings of Islam's founder as "evil and inhuman." The pope, spiritual leader of more than one billion Roman Catholics, did not explicitly agree with or repudiate the text...more

Taken from a comment on digg, which isn`t the important bit really. But anyway. A short conversation between Norm & Cliff from tv`s Cheers.

I shall now live by these wise words.

“Well you see, Norm, it’s like this… A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.

In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster more efficient machine.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Either people didn't understand Steve Irwin or just didn't care and are using this as an excuse.

From CNN website:

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) -- At least 10 stingrays have been found dead and mutilated on Australia's eastern coast since "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin was killed by one of the animals last week, an official said Tuesday, prompting concerns of revenge attacks on the normally docile fish...more

Go say hi to Gina, my new tenant. She has a very colouful blog. And manages to come out with many words of wisdom and things I could never think of saying.

I hope that sentence made sense. I'm sat here with a headache. Not in the bath for a change but sprawled out on the settee. This post would have been made from the bath, but my router keeps having a hissy fit and decides not to let any outgoing connections to the internet. Or to any of my other pc's for that matter.

Anyway, enough of the geekyness. I'm controlling the overwhelming urge I have right now to record programmes off the tv. Doesn't matter what it is. But it just needs to be recorded.

Our dvd/hdd recorder arrived today...yay. And it is good. Up to 200 hours of God knows what will be clogging up the hard drive in no time. So the new series's of Stargate and Battlestar Galactica had better hurry the hell up and start soon!

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Apart from the gentle hum of the computers and the dulcet tones of Miaow snoring the house is in silence.

Me n Zara aren't talking.

Blame the sink. If it hadn't been all gunged up then none of this would have happened.So blame gunge really I guess.Oh, and lack of food.And sleep.And me being crap at most things involving the house.And my lousy mood.Probably brought on by lack of food and sleep.And the fact we didn't get to buy a dvd recorder for the living room.

So now i'm in the bath feeling low and mad.Not at anyone or anything in particular. Just that low, empty, dark, aggresive feeling you have when you know you've lost control of the situation and feel like the plane is nosediving towards the ground.

Oh, and the feeling you're making a mountain out of a molehill. But part of you WANTS to make a mountin out of a molehill.

Damn, I feel like i'm copying Bored Housewife's style of writing.But I like it. It's so much easier than trying to write coherent sentences when all you want to do is unload your brain.

It's not all my fault. If Zara wasn't such a fussy bi..girl I wouldn't get so wound up.

So maybe it is all my fault.

I was going to try something new a la Keith & the Girl and at the end of each post type my hi/low. As in what was the high point of my day and what was the low.

Sort of like a summary if you will. See how long it lasts.

High: Setting up my spare pc as a linux file server and getting it all running properly..woo!Low: Too many to mention today, urgh.

Monday, September 04, 2006

Sunday, September 03, 2006

I'm feeling lazy. And as Zara has been going click happy with her new camera then I thought the best...ie easiest thing to do would be to just post a bunch of pictures.

I've been so slack in posting things that's been happening. Not that anything earthshattering has been happening, but still.

Anyway, i'm still attempting to learn French. I've been listening to the new Iron Maiden album like mad, and done nothing but eat and drink all weekend with Zara's dad and partner who came up to visit us.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Bank Holiday Monday 2003.Loughborough.Me and Zara meet for the first time.

Three years later and we're (hopefully) still as happy as the first time we met. Although I'm sure she'll tell you something a little more colourful.

It's amazing the things you find on the internet.

After my marriage broke down, up or whichever direction it goes in. I thought i'd never want to live with anybody else again. I was happy playing the field.

And as with most fields, they have their good parts and their bad, some dry places, and some places crawling with strange little creatures. But in the field was also a beautiful flower that just attracted me from the moment I saw it.

Unfortunately Zara stamped all over it and had stood in it's place by the time I got to it.

As as someone who likes a whole lotta time to himself I think Zara deserves a medal for putting up with me for the past 3 years. Although I can say the same also ;)

So how did we spend this most romantic of days?

Buying a network card for the spare pc and struggling to get the miriad of cables under control behind the tv in an attempt to thwart small rodent teeth from reducing a very nice widescreen tv to a box full of bits.

Oh, Zara did also get a nice new digital camera, so everything is getting photographed at 5.1 Megapixels and at 10x zoom.

I got a coaster with a rat picture on it. But it keeps my computer table clean and looks nice.

Friday, August 25, 2006

The TV networks are quickly becoming clogged with Soaps, Reality TV, Cooking and chat shows. Story taken from Stargate Solutions Blog

Network cancels Stargate SG-1 as 200th episode airs

While fans and the media celebrate the airing of the milestone 200th episode of Stargate SG-1, Solutions has learned from its sources that the SciFi Channel has cancelled the show. The timing could not be worse for such a decision from the network and is sure to rebound on them disastrously in PR terms...more

Thursday, August 24, 2006

This will be my last post for some time. This will come as a shock to some of you, but I have made the monumental decision to take off for the rest of the year.

There are a number of reasons, but the major contributor to my decision has been my involvement with a guerrilla group in Venezuela, which is fighting for freedom and justice against unbelievable odds.

I have been in contact with this group for a number of years by email, and now will finally join them. I know most of you will think I am totally crazy - - but I have not made This decision lightly.

Nothing you can say or do will stop me from doing what I truly believe in. I realize the timing is terrible and my family will suffer - - but I hope to see you again in happier days -when I return from my mission!

but my day has been ruined already, Cat and mouse throwing knives at each other, yeah thats ok...cat and mouse smoking..oh the horror!!

News Story taken from MSNBC:

LONDON - Turner Broadcasting is scouring more than 1,500 classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, including old favorites Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, to edit out scenes that glamorize smoking.

The review was triggered by a complaint to British media regulator Ofcom by one viewer who took offence to two episodes of Tom and Jerry shown on the Boomerang channel, part of Turner Broadcasting which itself belongs to Time Warner Inc....more

Monday, August 21, 2006

Sigh. So many things. So little money.I feel Madonna's 'Material Girl' should be playing in the background.Or at least a blokey version of it. As i`m not a girl. Or gay.

But anyway, The point I was so badly trying to make was...I want...stuff!

Actually it's more of a need than a want. Which sounds slightly less materialistic. Zara's nearly killed her digital camer through overuse. So that's a need. She'll be a nightmare to live with if she can't take her average of a dozen pics a day of the pets.

None of which ever seem to make it onto Flickr. Which is my fault.

And we need a multiregion, 3 in 1 dvd/hard drive/video recorder. As our aging vcr is virtually senile. And has a hissy fit if you try and change the video in it. Of course we could just get a new vcr. but damnit I want to join the 21st century in tellybox recording.

Or something like that.

Oh, but I do want a new Ipod video. Not that i've killed my ipod mini. I just want to watch stuff on my pod at work. But then I DO need someone in the states to record the new series of Stargate and send me the episodes....see, now that's important.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

News story fromKENOSHA, Wis. - It might sound like a chocoholic's dream, but stepping into a vat of viscous chocolate became a two-hour nightmare for a 21-year-old man Friday morning.

Darmin Garcia, an employee of a company that supplies chocolate ingredients, said he was pushing the chocolate down into the vat at Debelis Corp. because it was stuck. But it became loose and he slid into the hopper...more

Thursday, August 17, 2006

I'm sat on the settee after having a nice hot bath. Typing away on my laptop.Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is on Bravo channel.And I have 4 extremely lively rats running round on the floor and trying to scale anything high enough to kill them if they ever fell off.

It's kind of relaxing, and slightly surreal.

We've hopefully won in the battle to make our living room as rat proof as possible. I think you could fill the room full of water and none would leak out. Although i'm sure they'll prove us wrong.Just when we thought we'd managed to block up the bookcase....after a 2 hour stand off trying to negotiate terms which would satsfy their need to actually go back to their house.

Maria...our slightly chubby brown rat managed to find the smallest hole to crawl through under the fire and into the chimney. Where she proceeded to have lots of fun trying to get out and make her lovely white paws as black as possible.

This has now been blocked off.

And we decided pets would be easier to manage than children because...?

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

The more astute amongst you may have noticed that my blog page looks a little different. Being the sucker I am to try new things I moved my blog over to the new blogger.com beta site.

You can't do raw HTML editing just yet so some things like my haloscan comments are missing. But the new elements you can add are really cool. So no doubt i'll be playing like mad and messing my blog up big time.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

I`ve been trying to write this post since last night.Various events have been stopping me. Mainly on how to put the jumble of thought in my head into any meaningful coherent sentences.I`m not sure i`m actually there yet. But the house is empty so I really should make the most of the peace and quiet.

I have a workmate.This workmate has a friend.And this friends' brother was killed yesterday in an accident at work.

My workmate was pretty shocked by it all as he had to drive his friend to the hospital, or parents, or something. I can't remember the detail now.

It wasn't like a bolt of lightning hitting me, but slowly through the day little snippets of the past filtered into my head.

I know exactly how this friend is feeling right now. The circumstances may be different. But the emotion is the same. It's the sort of thing you never forget. I can picture exactly where I was sitting when Tina (ex-wife) took the phonecall telling me my brother had been killed. Although the tv was on I cannot remember what program we were watching, which is kinda odd really considering how clear the rest of this image is inside my head.

I remember driving up to my parents house as fast as I could. Even though part of me didn't actually want to see the anguish on their faces.

I remember my mum's face.

I remember we laid in bed pretty much half the night talking about him, drinking whisky until either raw emotion or alchohol made me fall asleep.

I remember how the days and weeks and months afterwards all merged together. How nothing mattered. Everything seemed so trivial. I was floating. It all felt so...surreal.

I remember seeing my dad cry for the second time in my life. The first being when his mother died.

Momentary flashes of the past kept coming in and out of focus. I tried to help my workmate, advise him on how to help his friend. And if there was anything I could do then just call.

The poor bastard has got everything I went through to come. As far as i`m aware nobody else was involved in this accident though. So at least this friend won't have the overwhelming urge to kill the person who took the life of someone so close.

An eye for an eye right.

That feeling didn't last long fortunately. All part of the anger. The feeling helpless. The wanting for someone to punished. To feel the hurt.

I don't cry now.

Not until something like this brings it all back. Like someone has picked the scab off this raw emotion.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is to auction licenses to foreigners to hunt wild animals, including endangered species, a newspaper said on Wednesday.

The government would auction licenses based on types and numbers of wild animals, ranging from about $200 for a wolf, the only carnivore on the list, to as much as $40,000 for a yak, the Beijing Youth Daily said...more

Taken fromRIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) - A Brazilian man died on Tuesday when he tried to open what police believe was a rocket-propelled grenade with a sledgehammer in a mechanical workshop on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro...more

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Although I am getting kinda lazy and letting Zara pic which cake to put up on a Tuesday. But with my terrible memory that's kind of a good thing as i'd probably keep rotating the same half dozen cakes over n over.

Anyway, here's Shaggy and Scooby which she did for a friends' lads birthday. I think. Although I may be wrong on that.

Be comforted in the knowledge that all you get is the cake picture and don't have to put up with my dodgy impression of Shaggy...

Monday, August 07, 2006

Ok.Lazy blog moment. Well actually. Lazy blog weekend.I've been wanting to write stuff down. But it seemed like too much effort to log in. And..well...type.

My mind has been bouncing between being insanely happy with my life, to feeling trapped and not too sure on where things are going.

This usually happens when me n Zara argue. This soon passes onto something more important.Like.Will she notice if I eat this whole pack of Jammy Dodgers before we go shopping next weekend.

My mind works in mysterious ways. Although usually it just doesn't.Currently it's in the 'I work at the shittiest place ever. And the first chance I get i'm out the door'. And then it'll pass.

But just recently it's been a bit of a running theme inside my head. Nothing to do with the fact that since nearly every single worker has left i'm the only mug to stay in the place that doesn't belong to the same family.

It's like working with a bunch of inbreeds.

I should just get out.

It's like a have a smeagol/gollum moment.

I should get out/but it's not that badThe manager is a halfwit/but he's one of the lads, a bit of a laughThere's better jobs out there/I'm pretty well paid

Thursday, August 03, 2006

No. The apology goes to Garfield. Or in my case a double apology.It was his 2nd birthday at the weekend.And we forgot. Not only that but then I forgot to post some pictures of him on his new scratching post. So.

SorrySorry

So here he is. Happy Belated Birthday G-Man.

Although he does also owe me an apology for perforating me with his claw as I walked past him.

He was high on catnip at the time so I guess I can let him off with a warning.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

SHANGHAI, China - A county in southwestern China has killed as many as 50,000 dogs in a government campaign ordered after three people died from rabies, official media reported Tuesday.

The five-day massacre in Yunnan province's Mouding county spared only military guard dogs and police canine units, the Shanghai Daily reported, citing local media.

Dogs being walked were taken from their owners and beaten on the spot, the newspaper said. Other killing teams entered villages at night, creating noise to get dogs barking, then honing in and beating them to death....more*

Friday, July 28, 2006

Ah, any excuse to use a Stevie Nicks song as a title.Well, i`ll probably stick this button somewhere on the right hand side of my blog where i`ll get lost amongst the rest of the crap I have down there.

But until then it`ll sit here.And probably end up being in every post I write until someone sends me an audio message damnit.

Well here it is.It`s not scary.It doesn`t cost you anything.So go record me a message.